The Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition (SNAC) serves the nursing profession and the communities of the Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties.
The nursing profession is served in numerous ways. Nursing students are guided through the nursing school application process by the Nurse Education Navigator. Additionally, nursing students are awarded scholarships funded by community donors. These scholarships enable the students to advance academically to achieve baccalaureate degrees in nursing.
Nursing Educators in the region are eligible to apply for scholarships to assist in advancing their education to the doctoral level. Doctorally-prepared nurse educators assist the region’s academic centers to increase the student capacity of the schools.
SNAC has been instrumental in increasing the number of nursing programs available in the region. Limited access and number of pre-licensure BSN programs made it a challenge to have adequate percentages of BSN nurses prior to the inception of SNAC. The Triad Model, developed and implemented by SNAC worked to challenge the inadequate numbers of programs. The result: the addition of one traditional BSN program at Keiser University, and two second-degree programs at Keiser and The University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee campus. Other academic centers, such as Florida Southwest State College and State College of Florida have streamlined their ADN to BSN programs.
Galen College has local opportunities for nursing students and plans to add a physical campus in Sarasota in the near future. SNAC has provided these academic centers the advocacy and support of the community to achieve these goals.
SNAC also serves the population in the four-county region by providing the leadership in advancing the nursing profession and promoting higher education of nurses and nurse educators. The Vision of SNAC: Communities served will have access to quality healthcare provided by a diverse, highly educated and skilled nursing workforce.
Lastly, SNAC serves the healthcare providers within the region through their advocacy and support in achieving additional nursing programs and increased capacity for students. The goal is to provide more nurses to help alleviate the nursing shortage, and to enhance the educational level of the nursing profession.